Team Columbia-HTC's Marco Pinotti says he's delighted with the route of next year's Gito d'Italia and plans to target the opening and finishing individual time trials. The 2010 Giro d'Italia route was unveiled on Saturday in Milan. It will start in Amsterdam on May 8th with a 8.4-kilometer prologue time trial, and finish in Verona on May 30th with another 15.3-kilometer race against the clock.

"I won the final time trial of the 2008 Giro, so I know what it takes to get through the last week and focus on that last race against the clock," Pinotti said afterwards.

"It'll be a great challenge. The time trial goes over the same hilly circuit they used in the 2004 World Championships, and with that finish inside the Roman arena in Verona it'll be spectacular. The opening time trial is quite short, but I'll still give it everything I've got."

After winning the team time trial in this year's Tour of Italy, Pinotti said Columbia-HTC will be highly motivated to do so again in the same stage in 2010.

2010 Tour of Italy / Giro d'Italia route presentation .. Italy style. Photo copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti.

"Even if it's a totally different kind of course in 2010, there's no reason why we shouldn't be one of the main favourites for that particular stage. Team time trials are always difficult, but Columbia-HTC has shown in many races that we've got the strength and depth you need to do well in them."

A winner of three stages and race leader in this year's Giro d'Italia, Mark Cavendish gave a brief but enthusiastic response to the route. Speaking in a pre-recorded interview, the Columbia-HTC rider said, "There's seven stages for the sprinters this year and that's great!"

"It's a much tougher course than 2009. We've gone back to the traditional high mountain stages," commented Columbia-HTC sports director Valerio Piva.

"Quite often in the Giro, the flatter stages have tricky finales, although on paper the first part's good for the sprinters. Whoever races for Columbia-HTC in the Giro d'Italia 2010, it's sure to be a highly competitive and motivated squad."